Welt turning mechanism in straight bar knitting machine and method of turning a welt



Nov. 30, 1954 SHQRTLAND 2,695,505

WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURNING A WELT Filed Aug. 14, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor M/ M By M ttorney Nov. 30, 1954 SHQRTLAND 2,695,505

WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING I MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURNING A WELT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 14, 1950 INVENTOR 1452:9113 5H0137A1VD ATTORNEY Nov. 30, 1954 A. SHORTLAND 2,695,505

WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURNING A WELT Filed Aug. 14, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 O I m In venlor Mai 14w By .M

Attorney Nov. 30, 1954 SHQRTLAND 2,695,505

WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURNING A WELT Filed Aug. 14, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 2 6 I npenlor By W Z Itorney Nov. 30, 1954 SHORTLAND 2,695,505-

WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURNING A WELT Filed Aug. 14, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent-Orifice 2,695,505 Patented Nov. so, 1954 WELT TURNING MECHANISM IN STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD OF TURN- ING A WELT Arthur Shortland, Leicester Engl-and, assignor to Mellor Bromley & Company Limited, Leicester, England Application August 14, 1950, Serial No. 179,150

11 Claims. (01. 66-96) This invention comprises improvements in and relating to welt turning mechanism in a Cottons patent and other straight bar knitting machines (especially machines specifically intended for the manufacture of the blanks for ladies fully-fashioned stockings). Its

chief object. is the provision of an improved welt turning mechanism and a method of operation which is more simple than previously known or proposed mechanisms and methods of operation in that both at the commencement and at the completion of the welt the needles continue to perform normal knitting motions, thus avoiding the necessity for providing special welting cams on the cam shaft which are brought into operation at the commencement and completion of the welt to imtion provides a method of turning a welt on a straight bar knitting machine employing welt turning mechanism having a welt hook to each needle, in which method the needles perform normal knitting motions during the setting-up and the completion of the welt, and which method comprises the steps of laying the thread of the setting-up course on the needles and forming it around them into needle kinks and sinker kinks, pressing every second needle at such an early stage in the needle descent that such needles cast 01f their needle kinks whereas the intervening needles take their needle kinks in their hooks, inserting the welt hooks below the sinkers to receive from the latter the cast off kinks of the setting-up course so that each cast off kink extends from one of the intervening needles to the next over two welt hooks, laying the second course upon the ascent of the needles and knitting it, in which operation the said intervening needles pass needle loops of the second course through their needle kinks of the setting-up course, continuing the knitting of courses of welt fabric and moving the welt hooks away from the needles during a production of at least part of the welt, and subsequently completing the welt-by moving the welt hooks over the lowered needles,

causing the welt hooks when in a downwardlydirected attitude to present the cast-off kinks each held by a pair of hooks for penetration by the needles in'their ascent to take thread in their normal knitting motions, and subsequently disengaging the welt hooksfrom the transfixed cast-off kinks.

In the foregoing statement of invention and in the ensuing descriptive matter the expression sinkers is employed generically to include, when the context so admits, jack sinkers or dividing sinkers (commonly known as dividers) or both. 1 1

The completion of the welt is facilitated if the downwardly-directed welt hooks are entered between the sinkers prior to the cast-off loops being transfixed by the rising needles, and if the downwardly-directed welt hooks present the setting-up course in such manner that the needle kinks of the intervening needles which, as will be.

appreciated, have needle loops of the second course of the welt fabric extending through them, are engagedin the throats' of the jack sinkers and the cast-off kinks extend above the dividers. It will readily be appreciated that the foregoing method,

of operation obviates the necessity for special welting cams for the needles and does not depend upon the accurate register of engaging instruments, nor does it involve the endwise adjustment of a welt bar (carrying the welt hooks) to align the hooks at different times with the needles or with the sinkers.

The invention further includes a welt turning mechanism constructed and arranged to operate on the foregoing method. Specifically, the invention further provides in a straight bar knitting machine having a line of hooked needles and sinkers for forming thread of a setting-up course into needle kinks and sinker kinks, on the needles, welt turning mechanism comprising a welt bar equipped with welt hooks one for each needle, means for pressing every second needle and for causing such needles to relinquish their needle kinks to the sinkers while the intervening needles retain their kinks'for a second course, and mechanism for (.a) advancing the hooks to the needle line and for positioning them below the sinkers to receive said pressed-ofl kinks from the latter, (b) retracting the hooks from the needle line ,while retaining said pressed-off kinks during: the production ofcourses of welt fabric, (c) offering said kinks to be transfixed by the rising needles by inserting the hooks in a depending attitude between. the sinkers at the back of the lowered needles, and (d) withdrawing the hooks past the raised needles. Preferably there are welt bar carries on which the welt bar is movable to and from the needle line, and means for bringing the welt hooks to and from a depending attitude by swinging the, welt bar on the carriers about an axis parallel with its own length.

These and other features of the invention are incorporated in the method of operation and mechanism which will now be described as an example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation through a Cottons patent or other straight bar knitting machine equipped with mechanism according to this invention;

Figure 1A shows inperspective on an enlarged scale the means for pressing alternate needles to cause them to relinquish their needle kinks; v

Figure 1B shows in perspective on enlarged scale the control means whereby movements of the welt bar are effected;

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the welt bar and associated parts, on a larger scale, in various consecutive positions which it adopts during the welt-turning operations;

Figure 3 is a view of the welt bar and certain associated parts, looking from the end of a division of needles;

Figure 4 asimilar view looking in the opposite direction;

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of mechanism, provided -at' an end of the welt bar, for swinging it in space;

.Figure 6 is a perspective view of an auxiliary presser;

Figures 7, 8, 8A, 9-11 inclusive, 11A, 12-14 inclusive, 14A and 14B, an'd.15 and 16 are diagrar'nsillustrating varioussuccessive stages in the welt-turning operations, Figures 8A and 11A being diagrams showing the disposition of the kinks at the stages shown in Figures 8 and 11 respectively, Figure 14A being a perspective view illustrating thestage shown in Figure 14, and Figure 14B being a plan view illustrating the disposition of the thread kinks at this stage.

. which slide transversely of the line of needles in a sinker ,bed and include jack sinkers that are moved forward one after another by a slur-cock and dividers which are advanced in unison with the catch bar (said catch bar subsequently functioning to retract all the sinkers), and

with knocking-over bits which are located below the sinkers. In Figured only sufiicient of such a machine is .shown topermit it to be identified and attention is-directed to the needles 1, sinkers 2, knocking-over bits 3, SO

' frame members 8 and 8', catch bar 9, and main cam shaft jacks 4, slur-cock 5, sinker bed 6, sinker cap 7, machine .3 other parts of the machine are of a conventional character and require no description or illustration'here'in.

In the exercise of this invention each division of such a machine is equipped with a welt bar .11 containing a -multiplicity of welt hooks 12one'to eachneedle 1. These welt hooks "12 are thinblade like elements eachhaving 'a small recess 13 in its top :edge-near that :end'which is directed towardsthe needles '1 thee-aid recess constituting a hook. The correct shape of these :wen hooks 12 :is shownin Figure 7, the illustrationinFigures "1-5 being of a diagammatic character.

The sequence of operations and the mechanism by which theweltbaris given itsnecessary motionsis hereinafter described.

At the commencement .of .a welt matters 'are arranged ifor'theproduction of a'slack course as 'rn Figure7 '(wh1ch does HQtiiIlVOlVfi any variation in the "knitting motions 'of the needles'l but only thein'being positioned closerto'the sinkefbed '6 at the time 'thelyarn 'is measured, "by convenitional mechanism) the yarnor'threa-d'T of.a setting-up course is'laid across the rear side or the needle "stems 'in the usual manner and is sunkbetween'the needles :1 by the jack 'sinkers .-'2a, and is subsequently divided by the advance of the dividers 2b so that "thisthread 'of the setting-upcourselis formed around'the needle stems .into

:sists 'ofameniber which is mounted adjacent to the 'front edgeo'f the "'sinker'cap 7 "(whichretains the "sinker-s 2'in the sinker "bed 5') "and is so cut as to provide 'apresser part opposite each second needle and a gap 1610pposite each intervening needle. This-.member 14 is pro- ,jected to operative position with the catch 'bar 9 'asithe "latter advances thedivid'ers 217. Thus as the needles 1 descend each second needle 1a 'is pressed and each intervening needle 1b is not pressed. As a result the beard of every second needle 1a enters the needle 'kink formed around that needle, but .the *needle kink around every intervening needle 11: passes "up into .the hook of that needle. It will therefore "be appreciated .that further descent of the needles will resultin the needle .kinks'being cast off .every second needle 1a. Before this latter stage 'is reached however the Welt 'bar "11 is advanced so that the welt hooks 12, .in a substantially horizontal attitude, are inserted into the needle spaces, at a level such that the top edges of the welt hooks lie in substantially the plane occupied by the bottom edges of the-sinkers "(Figure 9 the bottom edges of the welt hooks 12 being in the mam in a plane which is above the'top of the knockingover bits-3. The welt -hooks 12 are inserted "to an extent such that the nebs 2' of the sinkers 2 protrude 'over the recess 13'of the hooks, and this insertion desirably takes place substantially at the time that every second needle 'lajis pressed 'on the auxiliary presser 14.

As' theneedles 1 descend every second "needle 1a casts off its kinkand as the sinkers 2.are retracted by the .catch bar '9 these cast-off kinks slide down the sinker nebs 2 into the welt hooks 12 (Figure 10),. Thus when the needles 1 occupy their lowest position each ofthe intervening needles 1b retains its kink of the slack settin g up course in its hook but the cast-oft Ikinks of the setting- :up course extend from eachintervening needle 1b to the next 'over two of the welt hooks .12 (Figure 11A). "The auxiliary presser 14 "is :retracted Lto "inoperative position with the retreating catch bar.

Each auxiliary presser 14 is fitted 'with two or more blocks .60., one of which is shown'in Fig. 1A, to co-opcrate with abutment screws 61 carried by a .bar 62 longitudinallyslidable along the front of the appropriate catch "bar 9. Each'bar 62 carriesa horizontal plate 63 through a longitudinal slot 64 in which there engagesa headed screw 65 isecured to the catch bar 9, a spring 66 being *anchored at its ends respectively to the plate 63 and to a post 67 on the catch bar to urge the plate 63: and the bar '62 towards the left as seen in Figure 1A. The 'bar "62 carries an elbow shaped plate 68 :the upstanding arm ,of-which co-operates with one end of 'a'horizontal lever '70 pivoted at 71 to rock about .a vertical axis on a 'fiXed bracket '72. The rearward .end of lever 70 is coupled by a link 73 to pattern control mechanism. 'The auxiliary presser 14 is urged by spring means (not shown) rearwardly towards the sinker cap "7 and remains against the latter except when thebar 62 has been urged to the right as shown in Figure 1A by operation of the link 73 and the catch bar has been moved forwardly to engage the screws 61 with'the blocks 60. In this position, as shown in Figure 1A, the auxiliary presser 14 is moved .forwardly into the position to press alternate needles for the purpose described. On the .return or rearward movement of the catch bar 9 the auxiliary presser 14 isreturned under the action of its spring means against the forward edge of the sinker cap out of range of the needles. After completion of the slack course at the commencement of the welt the link 73 is moved to the right as shown in Figure 1A, so that lever 73 is rocked to permit the bar.62 to be moved by spring 66 to the left to retract the screws 61 out of range of the blocks 60 and the auxiliary presser 14 consequently remains in its rearward position against the sinker cap 7 throughout subsequent movements of the catchbar.

Pursuant .to their normal Eknitting motions the needles 1 now riseto receive the-threadof the second -welt-eourse "which is laid, sunk and divided, andknitted then'by the needles in the normal manner. LIn knitting this second course {which is not a slack course") theaforesaid'intervening needles .pass needle loops'o'f it throughthe'ir needle 'kinks of the setting-up "course.

Course after 'course of the welt fabric F "is now knitted in the'normal manner and during the productionof at least a portion of the welt=fabric thewelt'bar 11 is moved away from the needle line towards the front 'of the machine. At an appropriate stage a Welt stick or rod -17 is inserted and, being "connected to draw-off straps '18 *inconventional orpther manner, Fig. 1'2,"draws a 'bight "of the'welt fabric F beneath the s'tationarywelt hooks '12.

'When a sufli'c ient length o'f-the welt fabric F has been knitted =itis necessary to restore the initial course of the =welt'to the needles 1.

To do so the weltbar'11 ismoved'towardsthe'needles 'and is so *swung in space tl'rat the welt hooks assume a downwardly directed attitude; Figure 13 shows the commencement of thism'ovement. In this inverted attitude the welt hooks '12, pass overthe heads of the needles '*1 while 'the'latter are in-a lowered position "(Figures 14 and 14A) and, at astage when the jack sirikers'2a, vare being projected, they 'enter between the sinkers 2 in such manner that the needle kin'ks of -"the setting-up course of 'the intervening needles 1b are'errgaged in the threats of the jack sinker-s 2a, Whereas the cast-'ofl kinks of the settingup course extend across above the top edges of the dividers 2b (Figures 14A, 14B). In this latter connection it may be explained that following customary practice the top edges of the dividers 2b are slightly lower than the top edges of the jack s'in'kers'2a.

The needle kinks of the intervening needles 1b (which have needle loops of the second welt course passing through them) are 'thus tensioned by the jack 'sinkers 2a towards the front of the machine, away from the welt hooks "12. Therefore the cast-off kinks (each of which extends over 'apair-of welt hooks 12 are positioned to be transfixed'with certainty by'the risingneedles 1. I

It is here desired to point out that one ofthe difficultieshitherto experienced "inarranging for the unlail .ing operation of automatic welt-turning mechanism is that the pull on the 'fabric hanging from the we'lt hooks is necessarily such that the welt books at the selvedges are deflected inwards towards the centre of the width of fabric, and so there is always a danger that the selvedge loops or kinks of the initial or setting-up course will not be placed upon or otherwise taken by the selvedge'needles with that unfailing certainty which is desirable. 'In the 'past numerous steps have been taken to overcome this -difiiculty,but'the presentinvention does'soin an eminently satisfactory manner because of the fact that the welt hooks '12 are inserted between the sinkers 2, so positions these hooks 12 "that the penetration of the cast-oft kinksby the rising needles '1 is ensured.

As they rise the needles 1 transfix the cast-ofi loops and the ,sinkers 2 are retracted by the catch bar '9 in the usual way. When the needles 1 reach their upper position, the welt bar '11 is withdrawn from the needle line (Figure .15) and .in this movement the welt hooks 12 brush past the needles 1 and unhook from .the weltrfabric (the welt bar .11 being returned to arest position under the template rail 8").

- The yarn for the first course following the welt is laid in the usual manner (Figure 16) and thesinkers 2 advance onto this yarn and into the needle kinks of the setting-up course. Subsequently upon'the descent of the needles 1, loops of the new course are passed through the cast-01f kinks that have been transfixed by the needles and also through the loops of the last welt course which at this moment are positioned beneath the sinkers 2. The cast-off kinks and the loops of the last welt course are thereupon knocked over in the normal manner so that the welt is completed.

Turning now to Figures 1-5, and the mechanism by which the welt bar 11 is operated, the bar 11 is mounted in a manner later described between the upper ends of two operating levers 19 (one at each end of the division of needles) which constitute the welt bar carriers aforesaid and are arranged to swing towards and away from the needle line in vertical planes. These operating levers 19 are L-shaped in side elevation, the welt bar 11 being mounted at the top ends of their upstanding arms 19a,

and their feet 19b extend towards the front of the machine and at their free ends are pivoted, for movement about horizontal axes, on the front ends of truck levers 20 associated with other truck levers 20a. These truck levers are themselves pivoted by being all secured to a rock shaft 21 at the rear of the main cam shaft and are provided with two opposed trucks 22, 23 which are shogged into and out of action as required in conventional manner and engage respectively a cam 24 (or 24a see Fig. 2B) and a countercam 25 on the main cam shaft 10, so that the up and down movements of the two truck levers 20 may be positively controlled in a manner explained more fully later. In addition, the operating levers 19 are provided with two arcuateslots 26, 27. The rear slot 26 receives the main cam shaft 10 and the front slot 27 receives a horizontal locating shaft 28 (terminating short of the truck levers 20) which extends parallel with the cam shaft at the front thereof. Assuming that the welt bar 11 is in its inoperative position in which it is beneath the template rail 8 (Figure l), the truck levers 20 are in their lowermost position and the upper ends of the front slots 27 rest on the front locating shaft 28. The rear slots 26 are disposed on an arc, the centre of which in this position is coincident of the axis of the locating shaft 28. As the front ends of the truck levers 20 rise, the operating levers 19 pivot about the locating shaft 28 so that their upper ends swing towards the needle line and the rear slots 26 move downwards. This downward movement is eventually terminated by the upper ends of the rear slots 26 coming to rest upon the main cam shaft 10, and it is to be mentioned that the front slots 27 are disposed on an arc, the centre of which in this position is coincident with the axis of the cam shaft. Upon further upward movement of the front ends of the truck levers 20 the operating levers 19 pivot about the main The operating levers 19 are urged downwards by springs 30 which together with the weight of the levers cause the welt hooks to be yieldably withdrawn from the needle line on commencement of the welt as soon as truck 22 is released by and from its cam, in order to apply the initial draw off tension. out of co-operation with cam 25.

Movement of the truck levers 20 about their pivot 21, under the influence of cams on the main cam shaft 10 therefore causes the welt bar to be moved towards and away from the needles.

In order to permit the welt hooks to be swung into and out of the downwardly directed attitude which they are required to adopt during the completion of the welt the following mechanism is employed.

The welt bar 11 is fixed between the ends of a pair of arms 30 that are respectively pivoted at 31 to the upper ends of the operating levers 19a for movement about a horizontal axis. During that phase in which the welt Zhooks 12 are substantially horizontal, these arms 30 are directed substantially horizontally forwards away'from Truck 23 at this stage is maintained the needle line, and it will therefore be appreciated that by swinging the arms 30 about their pivot 31 until they protrude upwardly the welt hooks 12 may be caused to project downwardly. This movement is produced by the following mechanism which is associated with one arm 30 or with each of them. This arm 30 is provided with a downwardly protruding member 32 which lies alongside the associated operating lever 19a and is formed with an elongated guide 33 (such for example as a slot) in which thereis a slider 34 carried by a crank pin 35 protruding from a crank 36 also pivoted in the end of the operating lever 19a. The shaft 37 of this crank 36 carries a six tooth star wheel 38 which is stepped around at appropriate times. The star wheel 38 in effect consists of two star wheels 38a, 38b each having three teeth. Wheel 38a is fast on the crank shaft 37 and the other wheel 38]; is rotatable about it through an angle of atleast as determined by suitable stopssuch for example as a pin or key 39 on the shaft 37 received in an arcuate slot 40 in the loose star wheel 38b. A spring 41 is provided extending between the two star wheels which biases the loose start wheel 38b towards one extremity of its limited pivotal movement. The star wheels are operated by four spaced pins 42, 43, 44, 45 on a suitable stationary part 46 of the machine frame. In describing the operation of this welt bar mechanism, it is convenient to start at the stage at which the welt bar 11 occupies its rest position under the template rail 8', the arms 30 he approximately at right angles to the length of the upper parts 19a of the operating levers 19, the slider 34 is approximately midway in the length of the guide 33, and a tooth 47 on the loose star wheel 38b lies at the front of the first pin 42 i. e. that pin which is farthest from the needle line. This is the stage indicated at I in Figure 2 and also shown in Figures 1 and 3. The operating levers 19 swing towards the needle line, carrying the welt bar 11 with them, and since the loose star wheel 38b is spring loaded the tooth 47 clicks idly past the four pins 4245. Therefore the crank 36 is not rotated and the attitude of the welt bar 11 in relation to the operating levers 19 is not altered, and the welt hooks 12 occupy a substantially horizontal attitude'whenthey are inserted beneath the sinkers 2 to receive the cast-off kinks of the setting-up course. This is the stage indicated at II in Figure 2.

In movement of the welt bar 11 away from the needle line after the welt hooks 12 have received the cast-off kinks, at a predetermined stage (III in Figure 2) tooth 47 of the loose star wheel 38b engages the fourth pin 45 so that the crank 36 is turned through 60. This results in the arms being rocked upwards. The next tooth 48 on the fixed star wheel 38a then engages the third pin 44; the next tooth 49 on the loose star wheel 38b subsequently engages the second pin 43, and finally the next tooth 50 on the fixed star Wheel 3811 engages the first pin 42. The crank 36 is thus turned through 240 and the arms 30 swung upwards to their extreme positions. At this stage (see IV in Figure 2) tooth 51 on the loose star wheel 38b is presented in front of the first pin 42.

As the operating levers 19 subsequently swing towards the needle line for the completion of the welt (to cause the welt hooks to offer their kinks to the needles), this tooth 51 clicks idly past the first and second pins 42, 43. Moreover the tooth in question is thinner than the others and the third and fourth pins 44, 45 are short ones which do not engage it. Therefore the crank shaft 37 is not turned and the welt hooks 12 arrive at the needle line in their downwardly directed attitude as indicated at V and VI in Figure 2.

When the operating levers 19 again swing forward away from the needle line after the welt has been completed the thin tooth 51 misses the fourth and third pins 45, 44 but is engaged by the second pin 43 so that crank 36 is turned through 60, and tooth 52 on the fixed star wheel 38a is engaged by the first pin 42 so that the crank 36 is turned through another 60. This rotation of the crank 36 through carries it and its slider 34 past top dead centre in relation to the guide 33 associated with one of the arms 32, with the result that the arms 32 are swung (relatively to the operating levers 19) away from the, needle line and towards the front of the machine; this brings the arms into their initial relationship to the operating levers 19. In this relationship the welt bar 11 is'placed to pass underneath the template rail 8' in the final retiring movement of the operating levers away-from the needle line (see I Figure 2).

The arrangement and operation of the truck levers 20, a, and trucks 22 and 23 is more clearly shown in Figure 1B in which it will be seen that the trucks 22 and 23 are slidable axially on stub spindles 74 and 75 respectively secured to the levers 20a and 20. The trucks are embraced respectively by forks 76 and 77, the fork 76 being formed on the end of lever 78 pivoted centrally at 79 to truck lever 20a and operated by a link 80 from the pattern control mechanism. Pork 77 is secured directly to a link 81 by which it is operated by the pattern control mechanism. Normally the trucks 22 and 23 are maintained clear of the cams 24, 24a and 25 and they are .shogged individually by operation of forks 76 and 77 at appropriate times during welt forming and turning to cause their engagement in a desired manner with the cams. Thus truck 22 is shogged into co-operation with cam 24 for movement of the operating lever 19a to cause the welt hooks to be moved to the needles to pick up the loops, then released from the cams during welt formation, and later shogged into co-operation with cam 24a to move the welt hooks to the needles for welt turning. Truck 23 is shogged into co-operation with cam 25 for the return movement of the operating lever 19a to retract the welt hooks back to the position of Figure 1 after the hooks have delivered the loops back to the needles. At other times truck 23 is out of co-operation with cam 25. I

Reference has been made to the welt stick or welt rod 17; this rod 17 may be inserted and connected to the draw-off straps 18 by hand or by any known or suitable mechanism.

' In a preferred arrangement, at each side of the needles there is a stick guide 53 (Figure 1) which comprises a downwardly'directed groove 54 adjacent to the needle line and a continuation of this groove 54 which extends from the needle line towards the front of the machine. The welt stick 17 is placed by hand or by suitable mechanism in groove 54 at the appropriate time after a portion of Welt fabric F has been knitted so that it rests on this fabric. Its ends are thus positioned to be engaged by hooks 55 which are fixed to straps or the like 18 that at one end are initially accumulated on a roller 56 and, passing over roller 58, are attached at the other end to a take-up roller 57 near the front of the machine. On rotation of this take-up roller 57 the straps 18 are drawn off the first roller 56-so as to cause the hooks 55 to engage the ends of the welt stick 17 and the latter is pulled towards the front of the machine. bight of the welt fabric is drawn underneath the welt bar 11.

I claim:

1. A method of turning a welt on a straight bar knitting machine employing welt turning mechanism having a welt hook to each needle, in which method the needles perform normal knitting motions during the setting-up and the completion of the welt, and which method comprises the steps of laying the thread of the setting-up course on the needles and forming it around them into needle kinks and sinker kinks, pressing every second needle at such an early stage in the needle descent that such needles cast off their needle kinks whereas the intervening needles take their needle kinks in their hooks, inserting the welt hooks below the sinkers to receive from the latter the cast off kinks of the setting-up course so that each cast-off kink extends from one of the intervening needles to the next over two welt hooks, laying the second course upon the ascent of the needles and knitting it, in which operation the said intervening needles pass needle loops of the second course through their needle kinks of the setting-up course, continuing the knitting of courses of welt fabric and moving the welt hooks away from the needles during a production of at least part of the welt, and subsequently completing the welt by moving the welt hooks over the lowered needles, causing the welt hooks when in a downwardly-directed attitude to present the cast-off kinks each held by a pair of hooks for penetration by the needles in their ascent to take thread in their normal knitting motions, and subsequently disengaging the welt hooks from the transfixed cast-off kinks.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the down- Thereby a ers prior to the cast-off loops being transfixed by the rising needles.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the downwardly-directed welt hooks present the setting-up course in such manner that the needle kinks of the intervening needles are engaged in the throats of the jack sinkers and the cast-off kinks extend above the dividers.

4. In a straight bar knitting machine having a line of hooked needles and sinkers for forming thread of a setting-up course into needle kinks and sinker kinks on the needles, welt-turning mechanism comprising a welt bar equipped with welt hooks one for each needle, a bar carrier means for carrying the welt bar, means for pressing every second needle and for causing such needles to relinquish their needle kinks to the sinkers While the intervening needles retain their kinks for a second course, and mechanism for (a) advancing the hooks to the needle line and for positioning them below the sinkers to receive said pressed-off kinks from the latter, (b) retracting the hooks from the needle line while retaining said pressed-off kinks during the production of courses of welt fabric, (0) offering said pressed off kinks to be transfixed by the rising needles by inserting the hooks in a depending attitude between the sinkers at the back of the lowered needles, and (d) withdrawing the hooks past the raised needles.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, having welt bar carriers on which the welt bar is movable to and from the needle line, and means for bringing the welt hooks to and from a depending attitude by swinging the welt bar on the carriers about an axis parallel with its own length.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the barswinging means comprises a star wheel on a bar carrier and cooperating relatively stationary projections placed to be engaged by the star wheel as the carriers move and to step the wheel round.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the welt bar carriers are a pair of levers between which the bar is mounted, and wherein means are provided for pivoting the pair of levers to move about two parallel axes and for thereby ensuring" that the welt hooks maintain a substantially horizontal attitude in that part of their traverse in which they are adjacent to the needle line at the commencement of the welt.

{3. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the bar swinging means comprises a star wheel on a bar carrier and co-operating relatively stationary projections placed to be engaged by the star wheel as the carriers move and to step the wheel round, and having in combination arms pivoted to the carriers for movement about the said axis and carrying the welt bar, a crank connected to the star wheel, a slider thereon and a guide along which the slider is movable, associated with the adjacent bar-carrying arm.

9. Apparatus according to claim 4, having arms pivoted to the carriers for movement about said axis and carrying the welt bar.

10. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for pressing every second needle comprises a cut presser movable to pressing position by the advance of the catch bar and located above the normal presser.

11. In a straight bar knitting machine having a line of vertical needles movable up and down in knitting and sinkers for forming thread of a setting-up course into needle kinks and sinker kinks on the needles, welt-turning mechanism for taking kinks of the setting-up course, for retaining them during the production of welt-fabric, and

70 for offering them to the needles, when lowered at the end of the welt, to be transfixed by the needles upon rising, comprising a welt bar equipped with welt hooks, welt bar carriers movable towards the needle line at the start of the welt to position the hooks to take kinks of the setting-up course, away from the needle line during the knitting of welt courses, again towards the needle line at the end of the welt to cause the hooks to offer the kinks to the needles, and then away from the needle line, arms pivoted to the carriers for movement in relation to the latter about an axis parallel to the needle line and supporting the welt bar between them, and cranks on the carriers for swinging the arms between an attitude in which the welt hooks are substantially horizontal when the latter are positioned to take kinks of .the setting-up course and an attitude in which the 9 books are downwardly directed when advanced to the Number needle line to offer the kinks to the needles. References Cited in the file of this patent 2:305:335

UNITED STATES PATENTS me D 10 Name Date Start et a1 Apr. 15, 1941 Wachtler et a] Dec. 1, 1942 Wilders et a1. Dec. 15, 1942 

